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Traumatic Tetanus Cured by Nitrite of Amyl
234
The Veterinary Journal.
TRAUMATIC TETANUS CURE D BY NITRITE OF AMYL. BY W. JOH STO E, M.R.C.V.S., MANC HESTER.
th e beginning of last Augu st, I was called upon by the Ma nchester Carriage Company (Longsight Branch) to look at a mare which was said to have fallen down whilst working in an omnibus a few days previously. I found both knees badly injured, more esp ecially the near one; the skin was cut directly across, opposite the lower end of the radius, and hung down in a loose fla p about three or four inches long, exposing the t endon of the extmsor metacarjJi, which was partially divided, a nd a ll the bones of th e kn ee were quite visible. The injury gave every indication of an open joint. I had d oubts at the time as to her recovery, but decided t o give h er a trial. I found it imposs ible to bring the parts anything like into apposition, the leg being so much swollen. I therefore, by mea ns of a knife, cut the loose flap clean off, and bandaged up the knee with carbolic mixture and tow, and gave ord ers that it should not be t ouched until I saw it aga in, in the course of a d ay or two. I ordered her t o be put into a loose-box, with her head tied to the rack, so that she could not lie down. I sa w her two days afterwards: the wound looked beautifully clean and healthy, with no appearance of synovia, and the mare was feeding and doing well. I continued th e carbolic dressings, and had cold water applied to the knees for half an hour morning and night. I visited her occasionally for m ore than a fortnight; and I never in my experience saw a wound heal so nicely. I now ordered the bandage to b e discontinu ed, the edges of the wound to be cauterized, and the cold water continued a s before. I called again in a few days, and on opening the box door I thought the mare moved rather stiffly; and on applying the t witch (which we had to do in dressing the knees, as she was rather ill-tempered), I saw the membrana lIictitalls protrude slightly over the eye, and her tail stand a little elevated. I said to the man in attendance that I feared she was about to have T etanus. He said he did not think so: it was only her temper. A BOuT
Tratt11'zatic Tetanus cured by ,Ai-itrite
of A my!.
235
I dressed the knees, and did not t ake any further notice of her, as she began eating. During the afternoon I visited her again, and found my suspicions were confirmed, as she was now undoubtedly suffering from Tetanus. Her jaws were part ially closed, with all the usual symptoms of a severe attack. I managed, with some difficulty, to give her a dose of physic, had the box darkened, and told the attendants to keep the mare perfectly quiet. Abou t twelve months ago, Mr. A, Lawson published in the Veterillary Journal a case of Traumatic T etanus, which he successfully treated with nitrite of amyl; this treatmen t was afterwards criticised by several members of the profession. I therefore considered I now had an opportunity of proving the efficacy of the drug; so I began usin g subcutaneous inj ections of 2o-minim doses twice a d ay: this was on th e r6th of August. The following day all the sy mptom s were much more marked; the jaws were completely closed, and the marc was utterly unable to eat or drink anyt hing; the pulse was 40, respiration hurried, with perspiration all over the body. I increased the dose of the drug to 25 minims night and morning. She remained much in the same condition for the next five days, the doses now being increased to 35 minims. On August 23rd she seemed better; the jaws were slightly relax ed, and she appeared to be rather anxious to eat I gave her some gruel, which sh e managed to sip a little o( I also had some sloppy bran placed in her manger, and this she had nearly finished next morning. I increased the dose of nitrite of amyl to 40 minims, and she gradually improved; so that in a few days she was able to eat her oats as well as ever she did, althoug h the tetanic spasms had not quite subsided. I continued the inj ections (now beg inning to decrease the dose) until th e end of August, when the mare had perfectly recovered; though the knee had not quite healed. About a week afterwards I was sent for, as the mare had lain down during the night and torn the wound open, right' into the j oint I had her put into slings, a nd appli ed the carbolic dressings; but I am sorry to say without effect, as the case became one of very bad open joint. The Company were now
The Veterinary Journal. tired of keeping her; and as the knee was certain to be anchylosed should she recover, I advised them to have her destroyed. I think the nitrite of amyl deserves a fair trial, as I am of opinion it is a first-class agent in the treatment of T etanus.
DOUBLE HERNIA IN A BITCH: DISPLACEMENT OF THE BLADDER SUCCESSFULLY TREATED. BY
J.
WO ODROFFE HILL, F.R.C.V. S., WOLVERHAl\fPTON.
ON the 1st of June last, I received into the infirmary a young white bull-terrier bitch, belong in g to 'William Coath, Esq., The Shrubbery, \i\Tal sall. The animal in question was sent to me under the supposition she had Mammary Tumours or Cancer, and the following was the brief history furnished me :-Some months previo us to the above date, the bitch engaged in a fight with another dog; and to separate the animals, a man had put his foot across the bitch as she lay on her back, whilst he t ore h er opponent away. At that time she was supposed to be in whelp. Shortly after the combat, these two enlargements mad e thei r appearance, and g radually increased in size. On the day she was brought for my inspection, I found them firm, smooth, and glistening, and situated in the neighbourhood of the two posterior mamm <.e, the latter appearing to be involved. The left side was much the greate r, the tumour bein g as large as a goos~-eg g and extending to the groin. That on the right was about one-third the size. The bitch being gross, I ordered a dose of cast or oil, and light unstimulating diet, until her condition was such as to warrant an operation b eing performed if necessary. On frequ en t examinations mad e between the 1st and 21st, I found the tumours varied somewhat in th ei r condition: at one time being softer and lower in temperature, at another the reverse. The presence of fluid was always evident. On the latter date I made a most ca reful examination, the patient b ei ng then considerably reduced in flesh. The left tumour was
The Veterinary Journal.
TRAUMATIC TETANUS CURE D BY NITRITE OF AMYL. BY W. JOH STO E, M.R.C.V.S., MANC HESTER.
th e beginning of last Augu st, I was called upon by the Ma nchester Carriage Company (Longsight Branch) to look at a mare which was said to have fallen down whilst working in an omnibus a few days previously. I found both knees badly injured, more esp ecially the near one; the skin was cut directly across, opposite the lower end of the radius, and hung down in a loose fla p about three or four inches long, exposing the t endon of the extmsor metacarjJi, which was partially divided, a nd a ll the bones of th e kn ee were quite visible. The injury gave every indication of an open joint. I had d oubts at the time as to her recovery, but decided t o give h er a trial. I found it imposs ible to bring the parts anything like into apposition, the leg being so much swollen. I therefore, by mea ns of a knife, cut the loose flap clean off, and bandaged up the knee with carbolic mixture and tow, and gave ord ers that it should not be t ouched until I saw it aga in, in the course of a d ay or two. I ordered her t o be put into a loose-box, with her head tied to the rack, so that she could not lie down. I sa w her two days afterwards: the wound looked beautifully clean and healthy, with no appearance of synovia, and the mare was feeding and doing well. I continued th e carbolic dressings, and had cold water applied to the knees for half an hour morning and night. I visited her occasionally for m ore than a fortnight; and I never in my experience saw a wound heal so nicely. I now ordered the bandage to b e discontinu ed, the edges of the wound to be cauterized, and the cold water continued a s before. I called again in a few days, and on opening the box door I thought the mare moved rather stiffly; and on applying the t witch (which we had to do in dressing the knees, as she was rather ill-tempered), I saw the membrana lIictitalls protrude slightly over the eye, and her tail stand a little elevated. I said to the man in attendance that I feared she was about to have T etanus. He said he did not think so: it was only her temper. A BOuT
Tratt11'zatic Tetanus cured by ,Ai-itrite
of A my!.
235
I dressed the knees, and did not t ake any further notice of her, as she began eating. During the afternoon I visited her again, and found my suspicions were confirmed, as she was now undoubtedly suffering from Tetanus. Her jaws were part ially closed, with all the usual symptoms of a severe attack. I managed, with some difficulty, to give her a dose of physic, had the box darkened, and told the attendants to keep the mare perfectly quiet. Abou t twelve months ago, Mr. A, Lawson published in the Veterillary Journal a case of Traumatic T etanus, which he successfully treated with nitrite of amyl; this treatmen t was afterwards criticised by several members of the profession. I therefore considered I now had an opportunity of proving the efficacy of the drug; so I began usin g subcutaneous inj ections of 2o-minim doses twice a d ay: this was on th e r6th of August. The following day all the sy mptom s were much more marked; the jaws were completely closed, and the marc was utterly unable to eat or drink anyt hing; the pulse was 40, respiration hurried, with perspiration all over the body. I increased the dose of the drug to 25 minims night and morning. She remained much in the same condition for the next five days, the doses now being increased to 35 minims. On August 23rd she seemed better; the jaws were slightly relax ed, and she appeared to be rather anxious to eat I gave her some gruel, which sh e managed to sip a little o( I also had some sloppy bran placed in her manger, and this she had nearly finished next morning. I increased the dose of nitrite of amyl to 40 minims, and she gradually improved; so that in a few days she was able to eat her oats as well as ever she did, althoug h the tetanic spasms had not quite subsided. I continued the inj ections (now beg inning to decrease the dose) until th e end of August, when the mare had perfectly recovered; though the knee had not quite healed. About a week afterwards I was sent for, as the mare had lain down during the night and torn the wound open, right' into the j oint I had her put into slings, a nd appli ed the carbolic dressings; but I am sorry to say without effect, as the case became one of very bad open joint. The Company were now
The Veterinary Journal. tired of keeping her; and as the knee was certain to be anchylosed should she recover, I advised them to have her destroyed. I think the nitrite of amyl deserves a fair trial, as I am of opinion it is a first-class agent in the treatment of T etanus.
DOUBLE HERNIA IN A BITCH: DISPLACEMENT OF THE BLADDER SUCCESSFULLY TREATED. BY
J.
WO ODROFFE HILL, F.R.C.V. S., WOLVERHAl\fPTON.
ON the 1st of June last, I received into the infirmary a young white bull-terrier bitch, belong in g to 'William Coath, Esq., The Shrubbery, \i\Tal sall. The animal in question was sent to me under the supposition she had Mammary Tumours or Cancer, and the following was the brief history furnished me :-Some months previo us to the above date, the bitch engaged in a fight with another dog; and to separate the animals, a man had put his foot across the bitch as she lay on her back, whilst he t ore h er opponent away. At that time she was supposed to be in whelp. Shortly after the combat, these two enlargements mad e thei r appearance, and g radually increased in size. On the day she was brought for my inspection, I found them firm, smooth, and glistening, and situated in the neighbourhood of the two posterior mamm <.e, the latter appearing to be involved. The left side was much the greate r, the tumour bein g as large as a goos~-eg g and extending to the groin. That on the right was about one-third the size. The bitch being gross, I ordered a dose of cast or oil, and light unstimulating diet, until her condition was such as to warrant an operation b eing performed if necessary. On frequ en t examinations mad e between the 1st and 21st, I found the tumours varied somewhat in th ei r condition: at one time being softer and lower in temperature, at another the reverse. The presence of fluid was always evident. On the latter date I made a most ca reful examination, the patient b ei ng then considerably reduced in flesh. The left tumour was